The present invention relates to a crossbow-type underwater gun, i.e. having resilient side cords of the “bungee” type that are stretched in order to propel the spear.
In conventional manner, such guns are constituted by a butt extended by a spear-carrier tube and provided with a trigger release. The tube supports a spear propulsion mechanism constituted by two side bungees. The front ends of the bungees are fixed to a support piece which is disposed at the head end of the gun, and which also generally serves as means for guiding the spear. The rear ends of the bungees are connected together by a metal ring referred to as a “loop” for inserting in a notch formed in the rear portion of the spear, in order to propel the spear after the bungees have been stretched.
Such guns are traditionally cocked by direct application of force using both arms, stretching the bungees towards the butt, and engaging the loop in the notch in the spear. However, that operation requires a large amount of force and is not possible for all individuals, in particular with a high-power gun, i.e. a gun having a long spear-carrier tube and possibly also a plurality of side bungees. Under such circumstances, the butt needs to be pressed against the abdomen. Furthermore, there is danger of injuring the fingers if the loop is poorly engaged in a spear notch, or when releasing the bungees, not to mention the abdominal pain caused by pressure from the butt.